Ga-Young Kim

Born in Seoul, South Korea (Jan. 13, 1983), Ga Young Kim began her career as a three-cushion player but switched to 9-ball at 16 and made her first professional international appearance in 2003 at the BCA Open in Las Vegas.

She began playing regularly on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association Classic Tour and captured the WPBA U.S. Open Championship in 2004. Later that year, Kim defeated Taiwan’s Shin Mei Liu in the title match to win the WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship.

After a year’s absence, the WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Championship returned in 2006, and Kim successfully defended her title, again stopping Liu in the title match. Two years later, Kim was runner-up in the event to Taiwan’s Yuan Chun Lin. Kim also won the Amway Cup 9-Ball Open in 2006.

Kim was one of the leading players in the WPBA for nearly a decade, winning the WPBA U.S. Open four times (2004, ’09, ’10, ’16) and adding seven WPBA Classic Tour titles. She also captured the Tournament of Champions title six times.

Kim finished the year as the top-ranked player in the WPBA in 2014 and 2015. And for a decade (2007-2016), Kim was ranked in the WPBA top five, finishing the year ranked second on six five occasions. She was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year in 2004 and 2015.

TITLES

• 2004 WPBA U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship
• 2004 WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championship
• 2005 Tournament of Champions
• 2006 WPA Amway Cup Nine-ball World Open
• 2006 WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championship
• 2007 WPBA Carolina Classic
• 2009 WPBA U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship
• 2009 WPBA Colorado Classic
• 2009 East Asian Games Nine-Ball Singles
• 2010 WPBA U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship
• 2010 Tournament of Champions
• 2010 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
• 2011 WPA Amway Cup Nine-ball World Open
• 2011 WPBA Tour Championships
• 2011 Tournament of Champions
• 2012 WPA Women's World Ten-ball Championship
• 2012 Tournament of Champions
• 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championships Women's Champion
• 2013 WPBA Masters
• 2014 WPBA Masters
• 2014 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
• 2015 China Open 9-Ball Championship
• 2015 All Japan Championship Nine-ball
• 2015 Tournament of Champions
• 2015 Tornado Open 9-Ball
• 2015 Billiards Digest Player of the Year
• 2016 WPBA U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship
• 2018 WPBA Grand Slam Nine-ball
• 2019 World Team Trophy Women's 9-Ball